Dust-collecting system



' R. E. CALLER DUST COLLECTING SYSTEM med Feb. 21, 1925 A 4 sheets-sheet s Dec. 14, 1926. l 1,610,358

. R. E. CALLER DUST COLLECTING SYSTEM Filed- Feb. 2&1, l1925i 4` sheets-sheet 4 negated, Dec. 14, 1926.

* "tJNlTED s'TATEs rises.

RAYM\ND E. CALLER, F SCARSDALE, NEW YORK. .y

4 DUST-COLLECTING SYSTEM.

Application filed February Miscellaneous materials, as that term is -,herein employed, includes the larger and l0 heavierconstituents of dry, factory-wastes, such, for example as sawdust, shavings, splinterS, chunks and blocks ordinarily produced as a necessary by-product vof woodmaking machinery. Dust comprehends the smaller and lighter constituents, lWhich c ordinarily, may be more or less held in suspension in air. v

Heretofore it has been the common practice to handle the' miscellaneous materials and dust of dry factory-wastes inthe same or a like manner by conveying them through pipes or ducts under the propelling force of air currents. The air alone has [been depended upon to carry both the miscellaneous materials and the dust from the machines through branch pipes or ducts to relatively large trunks or main collecting pipes or conduits, and through the trunks to the final destination such as storage bins, furnace hoppers, etc. These systems maybe termed full air systems.-

Such systems are wasteful ofpower and necessitates careful proportioning of the trunk and branch pipes.

'materials and dust through the constituent conduits ofsuch a systemdepends primarily upon the maintenance of relatively high air velocities. Thus, the air velocity fin the trunks must be suliicientto keep in'co'ntinuous motionthe aggregate of all of the material fed thereto by the branches. To maintain this velocity relatively great and quite constant, relatively lar e volumes of air must at all times. be rawn through the trunks irrespective of the amount of material' being conveyed therein. Consequently the power'required to continuously operate thel necessary fans-or blowers is excessive in proportion to-theeffective work performed. In the earlier systems to which reference has been made in order to obtain 'satisfac- `tory results 'the branch pipes and trunks had to be-soproportioned as to insure the proper other Words the eatin system 0 branches The proper conveying of the miscellaneous air velocities in everypart of the sfstem. In

21, 1925. 'serial No. 10,763.

and trunks had to be properly balanced to maintain proper working conditions. Consequently any subsequent"redistribution of the interrelated elements or service requirements of such asystem would destroy the h initial balance and cause serious trouble. For example, the relocation or addition vof machines producing said miscellaneous materials in the factory, any rearrangement of branch or trunk pipes, or even shutting down of some' such machines could bring about such unbalanced conditions that the system would become ineflicient and subject to-clogging. Sometimes it was necessary to rebuild the entire system in order to accommodate some seemingly slight rearrangef' ment of factory processes.

One of the objects of this invention is to'.

improve the means or systems for handling of miscellaneous materials and dust.

Another object is to overcome the objections incident to the present full air systems.

Another object is todispense with exclusive air conveyance of miscellaneous mate-- rials in the trunks.

Another object is to provide a system which requires less power than the present full air systems to produce the sameresults. Y

Another object is tov provide a system .which possesses great flexibility in the matter of relocation and service accommodation of its constituent parts.

Another object is to provide a system wherein the air requirements of branchesA and trunks may be independently varied without affecting other constituent parts.

' Another object is ton provide a system which will readily accommodate growth, contraction and rearrangement of manufacturing units and processes.

Another object is to provide a system whichV is efficient and reliable in operation and incomplex to install and maintain.l

Other objects and; advantages will hereinafter appear.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in .the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a to plan of a typical system.

Figure 2 is a si e elevation thereof.

Figure 3 is an end elevation viewed from the right of Figure l.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on the line of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of a part of the main' conveyor driving mechanism.' Figure' 6 is an enlarged. section on the line 6 6 of Figure 1.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing amodication thereof.v

Figure 8 is a vertical section of a part of `the conveyor shown in Figure 7 showing parts in elevation, and

Flgure 9 is a vview showing a vertical section of the conveyor of-Figure 7 located intermediate the ends of the conduit, to assist in attenuating the air in said conduit.

The improved dust handling -or' conveying: system, hereinafterl described, compre- 1 hends and includes the use of airconvey- 1 ance ofmiscellaneous materials and dust in chanical propulsion carries thel load in. the Y trunks to destination. y 40 .The air passing thru the trunk, resultingA the branches, and mechanical conveyance for theheavier materials in the trunk conduits for mains. Ordinarily air currents will be passed through the trunks or mains but only at sufficient velocity'and of proper volume to insure discharge of materialy from the branch pipes into the trunks and to move the oatingdust therethrough. After the waste 'or heavier3miseellaneous material is discharged fiom the branch pipes into the main or'trunk it propelled' therein, primarily, if not entirely, by a purely mechanical con'- veyor. .In other words, the improved sys- `tem employsboth air and mechanical pro# .v ulsion as` distinguished from the usual full air propulsion or an entirely mechan ical propulsion. Air propulsion is employed to discharge the load from the branch pipes.

into the corresponding trunk. and then mee from exhausting the. trunk and branches for `thepurp'ose of conveying the miscellaneous .materials and the dustfrom they machines producing them tothe trunk, passes through the trunkinfwhich-the mechanical conveyor therein.. is.beingmoved and, therefore, this air agency may be utilized to move' the.

lighter `ioating dust particles through the trunks, lwhereas the vheavier particles which fall willbe caught and carried along by said mechanical means. Y.

The system chosen for-the purposel of i1- lustrationand as 'shown' has two trunks, or

` main conducting pipes,\1 and 2. Of course,

the number and arrangementof the trunks may be varied to suit the vlconditi'onsto be" To each trunk, branch.v pipes .3 and sub branch-pipes 3 are 'conmet in practice.

nected. The trunks are of such size and location as toeconomically.y and conveniently accommodate the branches required. The

branches and subbranches may extend from individual machines or groups of machines c to ythe trunk according to the desired"lay' out .of the plant equipment..

The branches and trunks are impot-toreteexcept for their inlet and discharge openings. Each branch and sub-branch collects the dust and miscellaneous material from its particular machine, lor machines, by means of hoods of any approved type. i This load ofv dust and heavier material socollected,

`is propelled along and within the branches to the trunk by the forceeof air currents in rear and attenuation of air in front ofthe load as in a full air system..

The trunks and branches may be formed into pipes or conduits from suitable ma.

terial such' .as sheet iron or steel.' The is shown for moving the load therethrough.

The chain conveyor may take the form of anendless chain or belt 5 provided at suitable intervas with drags 6. Adjacent one end of a trunk chain 5 passes around anI lidler sprocket Wheel 7. Adjacent the` oppositeend of a trunk the 'chain passes around a driving sprocket wheel 8." Chain 5 and sprocket wheels 7 and 8. are located within the associated trunk duct; f

`Driving sprocket wheel 8 is carriedl by a shaft 9v which passes through the walls of a trunk and is journalled in suitable' .bear ings .supported by. a framework 10. It --is drivenbya suitable source of power, such A as an electric motor 11, through an appropriate speed-reduction train 12.

llrags 6, in the lower run of the chain, are in close proximity to -thebottom wall-of a trunk. Thus the grosser or heaviermaim I terials, Awhich because of the sloping walls of the trunk are' .precipitated and collectedv in the bottom thereof, are readily carried along by'the conveyor; The upper return flight of the chain being open and removed a considerable distance above :the bottom of the trunk ductoli'ers little resistance to the settlingof the material and 'does not move the material in a reverse .direction to any appreciable extent. A trunk cross-section s'uc'h as shown in Figure 4 affords an excepe tionally. good form for efiicient reception f and conveyance of the materials.-

The mechanical conveyor in the trunk 2 lisshown to be driven bythe electric motor- 11, Ithrough pulley A19, belt 20, pulleys 21- and'22, belt 23 and pulley 24. The mechanical Iconveyorl in trunk 1 is driven by'motorl '-25 through a similar speed reducing gear. l

isc

'Any other suitable source of power may, of

course, be used 4for driving the conveyors.

Anexhaust fan 26 is driven by an electric inotor 27. .This fan exhausts the trunks 1 and 2 and the connecting branches 3 3. and collects the floating dust'and discharges' it into the usual cyclone dust collector 28 through duct `29. l

The heaviermiscellaneous materials carried through the trunks 1 and 2 by the mechanical conveyors, may be made to fall from the trunks into` a suitable air trapped boot at their ultimate destination' or they may be carried through the cyclone 28 and discharged therefrom.

In Figure 7 there is shownv a'tr'unk-or conduit 2 havinga plurality of branches 3.

. vention.

and sub-branches 3 and in thisconduit .the conveyor 5 is shown. This or other forms ofn'iechanic'al conveyors may be used' for" some purposes in connection `with this system when desired. Any sort of mechanical conveyor is tvithin contemplation of thein.

In Figure 7 there visshoWn lan auxiliary .A fan 30 driven by a belt 31 and having its 'eyeor intake opening connected' to .trunk .2 "by pipe 32. The discharge opening of the fan 30 is connected by pipe 33 to the cyclone dust separator 34. The dust discharge end 35, of the cyclone, is connectedto the trunk v2. Air' taken from trunk 2 by the fan 30 passesout of the tubular guard 36 at .the

'upper endof the cyclone and the dust taken -from thetrunk 2, by the fan, is returned thereto-by the cyclone 34 through its discharge opening 35. By this means auxiliary fan30 is made to su plement the operation of fan 26 in attenuating the air in the trunk and 'branches to assist in causing movement o f air'y through the pipe.

-As many intermediate fans 30 vand cyclones 34 may be used at intervals in the trunk to attenuate the air uniformly there'-l intending to the creation of a vacuum to accelerate movement of the material through theducts and dust throughr the trunks, as theinstall'ation may require. The auxiliary lfan 3.() 'will' not lift the heavier material from the trunk. It takes only the lighter dustv and air rom'the trunk and the cyclonev .retains Athe dust and permits it to return to .thetrunk and releases the air taken'out oit` the trunkby the fan. The air currents through "the trunks may be made to move in a direction opposite to 'i j miscellaneous. materials, except vWhere a dis-l (i5. dusthandling system toconform with the the,l direction of travel of themechanicall ,conveyor and' discharged at a` different point from that '.wher'e the heavier materials are caused, to leave the trunk.

.In the claims I have used the word dust toinclude the lighter and the -heavier dry tinction is-made, and I have used the'v term classification' orl nomenclature adopted by I the Patent I`Oflice. h

I am aware that vmany changes may be made and numerous details of construction may be Ivaried through a Wide range Without departing from thc principles of this invention, and I therefore do" not purpose Vlimiting the patentgranted hereon, other-v lWise than necessitated by the prior act.

Having described lmy invention what' I claim as new 'and desire to secure by Letters 1. A dust handling syst-em forconveying.-

lmaterial heavier thanfair and lighterparticles thereof, which includes a'm-a'in trunk line and a plurality of smaller branch ducts connected thereto,'means to exhaustA said trunkl line and said ducts of air to produce sucient velocity -to move bothmaterials '85 through said ducts only, and a mechanical conveyor to move] the heavier material through the trunk line only.

i 2. IA dust handling system for Iconveying j material heavier'than air and lighter particles thereof, which includes a main trunk-l lineand al plurality of' smaller branch receiving ducts connected thereto, means tok cause air to pass throughvthe trunk and ducts at a higher velocity through the latter ltrunk and a drag conveyor in said trunkto .conve material therethrough.

e 3. vdust'handling system'for conveying material 4heavier than air and air floating particles thereof, which includes a main trunk line and a plurality of smaller branch receiving ducts connected thereto, the comto convey material through the'ducts to the bined cross section areayofthe duct-s beingA less than the cross section area of the trunk,

means to exhaust air froml the trunk and 10 ducts to' produce sufricientvelocity in the ducts to move said material 'through them to the trunk and having vinsuiicient velocity in the trunk to movesaid material therethrough, and a drag conveyor in the trunk to convey the heavier material therethrough.

4. A dust handling system for conveying material heavierthan air 'andl air floating particles, which includes a trunk line pipe of uniform diametric area having a Hat bottom' lWall art and a roundingupper Wall part, a rag conveyor therein having drags movable along said flat part, means to haust :the trunk line and branches; auxiliary.

at intervals inthe trunk line.`

, 6. A dust handlingsystem comprising an air conduit trunk'line' having branches con Inectel thereto; a-mechanical Aconveyor -1n' 'said trunk line to' move the heavier material therethrough; means to substantially exmeans to take ainandfdu'st-from sad trunk line and branches and means to permit said air to-escape and to return-said du'st to said l trunk.

7 4A dust handling' system comprising an air conduit; means to move dust laden air therethu Y located" near: one end 'of the aeidese conduit and 'other means to extract air and dust 'from said conduit and to exhaust the air and toreturn the dustto said conduit.

I 8. A dust handling system comprising a 'pass thru said 'trunk line and Adust and heavier materials to passthru said branches; mechanical means to cause the heavier materials to pass thrusaid trunk and means to take air-and du'stvfrom said trunk and to re- .turn the `dust thereto,

In testimony-whereof I have hereunto suhscribed my name.- l v 'RAYMOND E; CALLER.

fe trunk line conduit and. branches connected' thereto', air moving means to cause dust to 

